Fancy Poultry Carrier

I wanted this carrier to be strong, light weight and nice looking. I selected the right kinds of wood to achieve these goals. The frame was made from “old growth” pine that was joined by finger joints. A full circumference groove holds the plywood bottom, and I also used plywood for the removable partition and top. Plywood is less than a 1/4” thick, but is straight with no delamination. It is expensive, but I just couldn’t use the normal grade they are selling these days. Garbage! The balance is poplar and hardwood dowels. There is a little bit of walnut used as accents; the partition lock and bottom of the release gates. Every piece fits and moves smoothly. Those silver shafts on either side of the gates are not metal. I just sanded, painted, sanded and repainted dowels till I got them super smooth. Hardware is real brass, except for the handles on the side which are plated steel. Read on to find out about who will use this project.Backyard Chickens is the latest thing, and last week there was a big article about it in the WSJ. There is even a year old, radio show, “The Chicken Whisperer”, and a website, www.mypetchicken, where you can buy a diaper for your pet chicken so it can be indoors with you. As interesting as this recent upward trend in chickens is, for many years there have been a few people that are interested in fancy poultry or show chickens. Believe me it is the toughest competition there is. Anyway, some of these show chicken people want to take their show winning birds to the shows “in style” and that’s where I come in. Seriously, if you have a trio (a cock and two hens), you are concerned about them getting to the show in perfect condition. My carrier can do that. With separate compartments for male and female your trio can arrive with no ruffled feathers. The birds are loaded through the top doors. When they arrive at the show. The show cage door is opened and the carrier is placed directly in front of the door. The lift gate is raised and your blue ribbon bird walks right in. Now that’s arriving in style.

I used to have an Australian Rosella – not quite a parrot, but bigger than a parakeet. A beautiful bird with 7 colors. The mess she created was unbelievable. I can’t imagine having chickens roaming the house, diapered or not…

My Grandpa once had a rooster that did not like me. When we went to visit he put it away. One time he was busy and forgot. That D#@$ rooster attacked me as soon as I got out of the car. Grampa caught him and put him up. At dinner that evening he says to me you won’t have to worry about that old rooster anymore!

We had chicken stew for dinner! That old rooster would not have appreciated the cage.

It’s beautiful, it amazes me what expense people will go to for their pets. I’m not criticizing, I do it too. ($50.00 bucks for 20 lbs of dog food)

-- BobG, Lowell, Arkansas--------My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am! Make more saw dust!!